CHAPTER I
Now if you talked with most folks, they'd tell you that Kithicor Forest is
no place for a young lad to be tromping around in. But there I was. Now
don't
get me wrong! I'm not the kind of foolhardy adventurer that goes looking
for
trouble. I had heard all the tales of Undead and Reavers and the like that
wander those woods. But I did need to get back home to Kelethin. Now
if you've
ever been through Kithicor Forest, you know that the best way through is
along
the hillsides surrounding the woods. But still, I was a bit nervous and
asked
for some help. Now this Ranger fellow - Aeerein I believe his name was -
said
he would be glad to escort me through the woods after I made up some
story about
losing the love of my life in Qeynos or some such thing. He was in his
52nd
season. I was just a bit into my 8th. So I figured him to be the one who
would
know what was going on.
When we entered the woods from Rivervale, he began to stare at the
ground
and the surrounding brush. He told me there was no signs of anything
passing by
there in the last few hours except an undead pet and off we went running
straight through the woods. At this point, my nervousness turned to
scared! I'd
heard tell that it was dangerous to take even the road through Kithicor
Forest
and here we were, right smack in the middle of it! Now I'm no stranger
when it
comes to the woods and can make my way through them pretty well, but
this guy
moved through like a deer running from a mountain lion. It wasn't long
before
he lost me...
After an hour or so of being lost, I began to get a little panicked. I
figured he would come back and get me, but the trees seemed to be
moving in on
me. Towering black oaks crowded my vision with a faint glow coming
from what
would be a noon-day sun somewhere up above. The forest was near
pitch black
during the middle of the day. Not your ordinary kind of forest either,
where
you can hear the birds chirping up in the trees and a few squirrels rustling
around. This place was dead silent. The only sound was the dew, which
constantly dripped out of the trees to land on the carpet of dried leaves
on the
forest floor. I started to look about, hoping perhaps I might find a trail.
Though I wouldn't know which way to go if I did. Suddenly! I heard this
low
grunt - or perhaps it was more like a growl - come from the woods off in
the
distance. I froze.... I could here the leaves crackle under might feet as I
held my breath and tried not to move. The scared had now turned to
desperate
fear. For what seemed like 3 hours I stood there. Perfectly still.
Trembling.
Straining to hear anything at all. All I was rewarded with was more
silence. I
began to explore the woods again in desperation.
After some time - I had lost track of how long - I spotted a clearing in
the woods. Above the sky seemed just a bit lighter shade of dark green
where
the sun tried to push it's way through the leaves to the ground below. In
the
middle of the clearing was a fallen tree next to what appeared to be an
abandon
log cabin. It looked like nothing had live there for years. The front door
was
hanging on its hinges after years of neglect and spider webs filled the
windows.
It was getting late and I knew I would not find my way to safety before
dark
settled in. I started for the house.
Just as I stepped about ten paces from the shelter of the woods, a figure
appeared in the doorway. I wanted to scream! But I felt like a hand had
me by
the throat. I started to run, but my knees gave way and I could feel an
unbelievable fear begin to well up inside me. As I lay on my stomach with
my
face pressed to the cold wet leaves, the figure approached. I prayed. I
don't
know what I was praying for.... My life was flashing before my eyes.
Right
before I passed out, I remember seeing a pair of eyes staring out from
under the
shadows of a dark brown cowl. As my world went black, he spoke the
only sounds
I had heard in hours - 'Good Evening stranger. What brings you to the
home of
Ranec Leafson?'
